What's the coldest water you would dive in a 5 mm suit?

[TeddyDiver]

32F -2C 5mm neoprene (dry)

 

[Web Monkey]

I just purchased a 5 mm wetsuit (Henderson Titanium Hyperstretch), and I'm wondering... what is the coldest water that you've comfortably dove in a 5 mm wetsuit?

Now, I'm fully aware that each person is different, but I'm guessing, I could dive in 60 degree water and be fairly warm. What do you think?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and experiences! :blinking:

You'll never know until you try. Then you still won't know.

"Cold" is different for different people on different days in different conditions.

I'm reasonably warm in a 3mm wetsuit in 70 degree water if the dive starts at a reasonable time, and I've had something to eat and I'm not tired. If I do the same dive at the crack of dawn, before breakfast, I'll probably be freezing.

The only sure thing I can tell you is that it's really difficult to be too warm unless you're using a drysuit with medium or thick underwear in tropical water.

Also, a hood makes a huge difference. You can lose over 1/2 of your body's heat though your head.

Terry

 

[driftin' by]

Started out diving in Ohio. Been as cold as 42F in a 5mm with 7mm hood, gloves and boots (WET) . It was cold, no doubt, but the toughest part was my exposed face. I found if I can keep my head, feet and hands warm, the 5mm suit me fine for a couple early spring, Ohio, mud-hole dives. But like it's been said a billion times- each person is different. But whatever you do, a hood can really make all the difference.

 

[Spratman]

Well, I did my nitrox class Jan 06 with a 5mil FJ. After half an hour my hands were nothing more than clubs. That was 43 degrees for 45 minutes. Wouldn't have been nearly as bad if we didn't have to wait on the platform for the drysuit divers to fix all the leaks.

Anyway, I wouldn't recommend it unless you have a good winter coat.

 

[prthd9]

Another factor is the amount of body fat you have. Less tends to equal colder.

 

[CC1020]

I have dived in 58 degrees with a 5/4 mm suit, 6.5mm hood and 5 mm gloves, and was reasonably comfortable. Just got back back from FL, in 64 degree water, and was very comfortable, even on 3-cylinder repetetive dives

 

[Charlie99]

I wonder why anyone would have a 5 mm suit.

I find a Tilos 5mm plus a beanie just right for Maui in the winter --- 74-77F. In a 3/2 I'll be chilly towards the end of a 60 to 90 minute dive.

People vary in their "tolerance" of cold, but why tolerate cold when you can be nice and comfy? Not having good thermal insulation also makes the body work harder to keep warm, increasing air consumption.

The downside to thicker wetsuits is more lead and more change in buoyancy with depth. For experienced divers where buoyancy control is almost as automatic as breathing, this isn't a really big downside. Experienced divers are more likely to be going slow with no wasted effort and doing longer dives, both of which are factors that make thicker wetsuits preferred.

It kind of works out nicely in some ways. Inexperienced divers, for whom the buoyancy control of a thick wetsuit would be more challenging, are the same divers that tend to have lots of motion, swim too fast, and burn through their air fast. All of these mean that new divers can use less neoprene.

Charlie Allen

 

[Tek Adventure Diver]

Ive done 34 in 7ml before for about 30 mins and i was good

 

[almitywife]

5mm.......coldest dive 16C/61F

im about to get a drysuit

 

[JAMIE MCG]

51 degres, so far with 3mm gloves 3mm hooded vest, 2 dives 30+ mins and was chilly, but could of dove 1 more time.